Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Flashcards
Definition of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (MPAs)
Botanical raw materials, herbal drugs, that are primarily used for therapeutic, aromatic and/or culinary purposes as components of cosmetics, medicinal products, health foods and other natural health products
Primary metabolism
Substances and processes which are essential for growth and development of the individual
Characteristic: Universal, uniform, relatively few evolutionary changes
Secondary metabolism
Deriving from the primary metabolism, comprises substances and processes whose functions are related to the interaction of the individual with the environment
Characteristic: Secondary metabolites are dominant in certain organs and depend on developmental stage and other impact factors; strong changes during evolution and during life cycle
Bioactive substances mainly originate from secondary metabolism
Why does a plant produce secondary metabolites?
Co-Evolution: Evolutionary relationships between host-plant and biotic network
Protection & Attraction:
Enemies -> Defence / Protection (e.g. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids)
Environmental stress -> Protection
Pollinators -> attraction (e.g. pgment group flavonoids)
Examples of secondary metabolism
Alkaloids (contain min. 1 nitrogen atom)
Phenols (phenolic ring)
Terpenoids
Essential oils (very volatile -> belong to group of terpenoids)
Essential oils
Only Terpenoids
Highly volatile
Typical for plants of Lamiaceae, Apiaceae and Asteraceae
Essential oils are produced in specific glands on leaf surface
Examples of essential oils with scientific proof
Rosemary essential oil (mind clearing, stimulating memory)
Lavender essential oil (Effect on anxiety levels)
How can plants be a source for bioactive compounds?
Plant compounds are extracted and used by chemists as models for synthetic compounds
Example: Acetyl salicylic acid from Salix spp.
Plant molecules are extracted / isolated as elements for semi-synthetic compounds
Example: Artemether from Artemisia annua
A pure compound is extracted from the plant and used as such
Example: Morphine from Papaver somniferum
A multi-component mixture presents the active principle of the plant
-> mixture is used for the finished product
Example: Curcuma officinalis rhizome powder, Valeriana off. root extract, Hypericum perforatum herb extract
Functional foods
Foods which are intended to be consumed as part of the normal diet and that contain biologically active components (e.g. phytochemicals, probiotics etc.) which offer potential of enhanced risk or reduced risk of disease
Claim of health effect is only possible if data from human studies are available adn these have been recognized by EFSA
Food supplements
Concentrated sources (e.g. extracts) of nutrients (or other substances) with a nutritional or physiological effect.
Can be marketed in “dose” form, such as pills, tablets, capsules, liquids in measured doses
-> health claims are not allowed
Herbal preparations
preparations from herbal substances (raw material)
Example: Ground or fine-cut plant material, extracts, distillats, tinctures etc.
Herbal medicinal products (finished product)
Any medicinal product, exclusively containing as active ingredients one or more herbal substances or one or more herbal preparations
Different categories of plant-based products and their regulation
Food
Functional food
Food supplements
Feed
-> regulated by BLV, Bundesamt für Gesundheit, EFSA
Phytopharmaceuticals
-> regulated by swissmedic, european medicines agency
Cosmetics
-> regulated by BLV, cosmetics Legislation
What requirements have to be fulfilled with evidence based phytopharmaceuticals?
Pharmaceutical quality (GACP; GMP)
Efficacy (Clinical trials)
Safety (Toxicity studies)
What are no evidence based phytopharmaceuticals?
Traditional herbal remedies
Homoeopathic remedies
Anthroposophical remedies
Food supplements
Isolated natural compounds
Extraction process
See page 34
Typical formulations of extracts in modern phytopharmaceuticals
Dry extract in various formulations (Capsuels, tablets)
Tinctures, fluid extracts
Ointment, gels
Market for MAPs
increasing demand for herbal ingredients in cosmetics
high demand of natural medicine from developing countries
largest global markets are CHina, US, France, Germany Italy Japan, Spain, UK
increasing demand globally
more and more demand has come up for disease conditions where modern drugs are either unavailable or unsatisfactory (tropical diseases, chronic conditions, alzheimer …)
Main indication areas for phytopharmaceutical products
- Cough and cold
- Gastro-intestinal discomfort
- Joint and muscle pain
- Urological problems
- Anxiety, depressions
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Top botanicals for phytopharmaceutical use
Ginko biloba - leaves - declining mental performance
Hypericum perforatum - Flowering aerial parts - Depression
Echinacea purpurea - aerial parts or roots - common cold, flu
Valeriana officinalis - roots - sleep disorders
Allium sativum - bulbs - high blood lipid levels and high blood pressure
see more on page 41
Overview of different sub-sectors of MAP use
Pharma: Phytopharmaceuticals, veterinary products, pure pharmaceutical compounds
Food: spices, Food supplements, health food, functional food, nutraceuticals, flavors
Cosmetics: fragrances, Cosmoceuticals
Plant protection (e.g. Neem)
Feed and feed additives
Emerging market
Replacement of antibiotics
Phytogenic feed additives are substances of plant origin added to animal diets at recommended levels with the aim of improving animal performance
Feed - Example: Sangrovit
Active compound: Sanguinarine
Mode of action: Combined antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of Sanguinarin
-> better feed uptake and conversion in broilers, swine and cattle
Tendencies for food supplements, phytopharmaceuticals, cosmetics and feed
Food supplements:
Growing demand due to high general acceptance and lower registration hurdles, high quality demands, less good prices than in pharma
Phytopharmaceuticals (Registered drugs):
Stabile demand, no or little growth due to high registration barriers for finished products, high quality requirements, good prices
Cosmetics:
Growing demand, but absolute demand not very high due to low concentrations employed, intermediate quality requirements, comparatively low prices
Feed:
Growing demand due to public awareness and ban of antibiotics in animal husbandry, comparatively low prices
Growers perspective on market access
Global competition:
MAPs in most cases are sold/used as dried material. Dried plant raw material can be shipped globally at rather low costs, therefore, for many of such materials, growers face a global competition
Lack of transparency:
market is not fully transparent adn grwoers often do not know who needs their materials and buyers do not know where to find them
Competition with wild grafted materials
Prices for individual plant raw materials are fluctuating from year to year
Storage of products is only possible to short term, since man ybiologically active substances are not stable over long periods
number of growers is reducing -> remaining growers are encountering more challenging tasks
Wild Grafting
60 - 90% among 30’000 medicinal plant species are sourced from the wild, some 3000 are traded internationally
in countries of origin these species are mainly used for primary helath care needs
they are also and still are a subject of considerable national and international trade
Cons of Wild grafting
Lack of sustainability
Adulteration
poor post-harvest processing
processes difficult to control / standardize / improve
Problem to draw representative samples
costs and availability are unpredictable
“over” collection
production costs are often low
MAPs threatened by overcollection (risk of extinction)
CITES
Convention on International Trade in ENdangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Aim: ensure international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild
accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35’000 species of animals and plants
Pro’s of MAP production based on cultivation
continuous suppy of raw material guaranteed
production volumes / prices can be agreed for longer periods
plant material can be standardised and improved by breeding
reproducibility and traceability can be assured
no risk of depleting natural diversity
detailed documentation of production process is feasible
Con of MAp production based on cultivation
Raw materials from cultivation often are more expensive than from wild grafting
MAP production in Switzerland
mainly in mountain areas
mainly organic
well established interaction between producers, industry and agronomic and phyto-chemical research
250 ha cultivated area
150 producers
Salbei, Thymian, Melisse, Pfefferminze
Industrial applications in CH
Ricola
Herbal tea processors
Aromatic herbs-processors
Bio Alp tea
cosmetic industry
perfume industry
